On Kindergarten & Superheroes

I'm now surrounded by the walls of my pre-school classroom. 'Welcome' is written on the wall opposite to where the door is, but that is not the first thing you see when you enter the classroom. What you first see, or what I first saw when I entered that room for the first time (and every other time after that) was a tree in one of the corners. Yes, a tree. A real tree growing in one of the corners of the classroom. No, the school was not in the forest, and I do not remember what the story behind its being there was, but that tree was beautiful --no, wait-- it wasn't actually that great. It was a tree just like any other, with branches and flowers, decorating the room. It was beautiful because of the ugliness of the concrete walls, but not beautiful on its own. And that beautiful not-so-beautiful tree brought life into our classroom.

 

The classroom itself was very well decorated. Due to the colourful signs hanging here and there, the ugly concrete walls were not as ugly as one may think. The large number of cartoons on the walls, windows and door made us often think that we were there to learn about them, and not about colours or numbers or animals or professions. There were also these little, low tables and many minute chairs -- and I could never understand how the big, fat asses of the teachers and their assistants fit in such small furniture. Miss Teresa's a*s wasn't that fat -- she was tall and her a*s was okay, I guess. Not that I knew the difference between a good-looking a*s and a fat, ugly one at that age, but it wasn't huge so I think that's the reason why she fit so easily in those tiny chairs. She was nice at times, and a pain in the a*s at others -- very young compared to other staff members, and tall, very tall.

 

This time she had asked us to draw a cartoon. So exciting, huh? Exciting and new, indeed, for kinder education -- like we never drew in that class. The topic was "I want to be a superhero", and we were supposed to use every single cell from our brains to create the coolest and most amazing characters ever. We had to choose a name, a superpower --only one!--, the costume, and tell our classmates why we wanted to be that specific superhero.

 

As soon as I finished my drawing I felt like the most fulfilled boy that had ever attended kinder at that school. As I saw my drawing I felt proud of it, of myself, of my talent and my future as an artist, drawing comics series and stuff. Nobody could have ever drawn anything as creative as I had, I thought.

 

  "Alejandro... when are you going to finish your assignment?", Miss Teresa asked me.
  "I am done, Miss".
  "But 'you' aren't wearing any costume in that drawing of yours... you'd be naked if it weren't for those funny boxers you drew. Would you like to be a naked superhero?". Four or five students were laughing as their fingers pointed at me. Miss Teresa was enjoying that. Her face said so.
  "No, no, no... but my superpower is 'invisibility'. I can be invisible! My costume is invisible -- when I wear it, I become invisible too!"
  "Do you mean", and she rested her finger on my drawing, "this line around 'you' is your costume?"
  "No, that isn't. That line is the outline of my body. If it were the costume you wouldn't see me or my boxers"
  "And where, then, is your costume?"
  "I don't know... but somewhere in the paper, I am sure".
  "Why haven't you coloured it?"
  "Because it's invisible!"
  "Why don't you wear it?"
  "I can't find it"

 

She smiled. But it wasn't a you-are-so-cute smile. I didn't like her smile. I, in fact, hated it. And I hated even more the way she laughed when she left. I felt bad. My masterpiece wasn't good enough, I thought. I tore my paper and threw the pieces to the garbage. Why did she laugh? It wasn't even funny! What's so funny about a superhero who has trouble finding his own costume? What if a villain had stolen or hidden it? Was that the superhero's fault? I don't think so.

 

  "You didn't have to tear your drawing, Alejandro. Your friends are almost done. What are you going to do now?"
  "I’m gonna draw another hero... with a costume"
  "Good! Use your imagination and choose another superpower too."
  "Why? I liked mine".
  "Well, George had already chosen that superpower before you, and his costume was really cool! What will you draw?
  "I don't know... Oh, I know! I am going to be Shadowman! My costume will be all black, and the mask will be black too, and you will only see my eyes because they'll be white, like Batman... and I'll be able to turn into shadows and move around the city, and I will move the shadows and control the..."
  "What will happen at night, when there are no lights and no shadows?" She asked me, interrupting my speech.
  "Miss Teresa! Please! Night itself is a giant shadow. Don't you ever say that there are no shadows at night because that's a lie, and they can hear you and attack you, and I won't stop them. There are even more shadows at night than during the day -- that's why people are afraid, scared to death of the night. More bad things happen at night, you know, but with me things will be different. Shadows will be my friends and we will fight against the bad guys, and..."
  "Alejandro..."
  "Yes, Miss?"
  "Start drawing".

Reviews

[Kiya]

Made me smile :) Children's imaginations are big, and you just get to see a small part of it. I would dream for hours when I was small, about silly things or things that were almost real to me. I once convinced myself that I could drive, and another time I could change into any animal I wanted to be. Childhoods are things to be treasured, and your piece of writing brings back all those memories in full and glorious colour! Well done, and I'm looking forward to reading more of your writing. :)

[Star Catcher]

Rofl, I love the tangent he goes off on at the end. I was thinking the same thing about the night and shadows.